The present invention relates to the field of head harnesses which are placed over the head of a horse and which are intended to accept a mouthpiece to allow a rider or a driver to establish contact with the mouth of a horse in order to guide it using reins or lines. This type of harness is known as a bridle or a snaffle.
A conventional head harness generally comprises a browband which passes across the forehead of the horse and to which is attached a crownpiece from which there extend straps to which cheek pieces accepting a mouthpiece (curb bit) and a throatlatch are fixed, to which harness there may be added a noseband, the cheek pieces of which pass under the crownpiece.
With a conventional head harness, when the rider riding the horse or the driver controlling the horse through harnessing, makes contact with the mouth of the horse, via the mouthpiece (through reins or lines) to give an indication, the transmission of this indication may be impaired by the irritation or pain caused by the pressure at the crownpiece. What actually happens is that this pressure is applied to the poll, just behind the ears of the horse, which is a neuralgically sensitive region of the horse. The suffering caused to the animal may cause it to raise its defenses, and thus impair its performance.
There is therefore a desire to improve the comfort of a horse by proposing a new head harness.
German utility model DE 20 2005 002543 proposes a harness which comprises a crownpiece made of several elements that are superposed in order to tend toward this objective of comfort.
International patent application WO 2008/004938 proposes a harness which notably comprises a ring passing across the forehead and around the ears of the horse to act as a browband and crownpiece, with a special arrangement, with a view to reducing the pressure exerted by the harness on the poll of the horse.
Nonetheless, there is still a need for a head harness that is more comfortable for the horse, and allows better communication between a rider or driver and his horse.